Pill or tablet dispenser



Filed Dec. 19, 1957 l lllll mllllll INVENTO? s-rANLaY LOWE-N ATTORNEY$PILL R TABLET DISPENSER Stanley Lowen, Yonkers, N.Y.

Application December 19, 1957, erial No. 703,786

2 Claims. (Cl. 20642) This invention relates generally to dispensers forpills or tablets, and is especially concerned with such devices as areadapted for use in conjunction with conventional pill containers orbottles.

As is well known, conventional pill containers or bottles usuallyinclude a cotton wad stuffed in the neck thereof to prevent excessivepill movement and breakage, a screw cap or the like over the outletneck, and a cap seal or liner interiorly of the cap for sealingengagement with the neck end. In order to obtain a pill from thecontainer, it is therefore necessary to first remove the cap, diflicultyoften being had in removal of the liner which frequently sticks to theneck end, then removing the cotton, and inverting the bottle to pour apill. Most commonly an excessive number of pills are poured, so that itis necessary to replace those pills in excess of the desired quantity.

In addition to the inconvenience of this time-consuming operation, italso increases the possibility of overdosage, both to adults andchildren, the latter being subject to a high incidence of accidentalpoisoning from bottles which can be readily emptied. While there haveben proposed previous pill dispensing devices intended to eliminatethese problems, such devices have not been entirely satisfactory, asthey usually required special containers, were complex and expensive inconstruction, and unreliable in use.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide apill dispenser which overcomes the abovementioned difficulties, enablesinexperienced persons to quickly and easily obtain exactly the desirednumber of pills from a conventional or other container, and eliminatesthe need for cotton in the container neck, as well as obviating allpossible difficulties with the cap liner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pilldispensing device of the type described which entirely eliminates orreduces to an absolute minimum the possibility of accidental poisoningresulting both from the curiosity of young children and inadvertance ofadults.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide a pilldispenser having the characteristics mentioned in the precedingparagraphs which is extremely simple and durable in construction, havingno moving parts, and which can be manufactured and incorporated in aconventional container at negligible cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view illustrating a dis- 2,918,167Patented Dec. 22, 1959 penser device constructed in accordance with thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along theline 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along theline 44 of Figure 2, but showing the dispenser thereof in operativeassociation with a container, and illustrating the assembly indispensing position;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a slightly modifieddispenser of the present invention in operative association with acontainer, all according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along theline of 66 of Figure 5 and omitting the container; and

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the dispenser element of Figures 5 and6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFigures 1-4 thereof, a unitary insert element is there generallydesignated 10, and includes a plug part 11 and a flange part 12. Theinsert 10 is preferably fabricated as an integral unit, advantageouslyof polyethylene plastic or other material having similarcharacteristics.

The plug part 11, is preferably hollow, as illustrated, including agenerally cylindrical outer Wall 15 and an inner end wall 16 extendingnormal to and radially inward from the inner end of the cylidrical wall.The inner end wall 16 is formed with a symmetrically located opening 17,preferably of rectangular configuration; and, an open ended tubularpassageway element 18 is arranged in spaced relation, longitudinallywithin the cylindrical outer wall 15. The passageway element 18 ispreferably of generally rectangular cross-section throughout its crosslength, having an outer end portion 19 of substantially constantcross-section and terminating at an outer end opening 20 substantiallyflush with the outer end of the cylindrical wall 15. The inner endregion 21 of the passageway preferably flares, or gradually increases indimension from the outer end region 19 to the inner end opening 17.Thus, the tubular element 18 defines a longitudinally extendingopen-ended passageway in the plug 11; and, the inner and outer endopenings 17 and 20 of the passageway are preferably of similargeometrical configuration and arranged in substantial alignment.

The outer end flange 12 extends peripherally about and radially outwardfrom the outer end of cylindrical wall 15, and is provided on itsradially outer region with a peripherally extending, depending orlongitudinally inwardly projecting lip 24 having an undercut, radiallyinner surface 25.

in Figure 4 is seen a bottle or other conventional container 27 having ahollow tubular outlet or neck 28, which neck may be provided on itsexternal periphery with screw threads 29 for retaining engagement with aclosure or cap 3% A quantity of pills, or generally disc-like tablets31, are illustrated as disposed within the container 27. The dispenserelement 1% is shown as having its plug part 11 inserted into thecontainer neck 28. Such insertion is facilitated by the resilience ofthe relatively thin outer plug wall 15. The outer end flange 12 isillustrated as seated on the outer end surface 31 of the container neck28; and further, the container neck is formed with a peripherallyextending undercut surface 32 for conforming and retaining engagementwith the undercut surface 25 of the flange lip 24. That is, the flange12 and lip 2% may be easily distendd to effect this retainingengagement.

In Figures 3 and 4 a pill is illustrated as located in the outletopening of the passageway tube 18, the respective figures being inplanes at right angles to each other, so that the outlet end opening ofthe passageway is seen to be of a size loosely but conformably receivingand passing only a single pill. In order to facilitate the entry of thepills 31 into the inner passageway opening 17, upon inversion of thepill container 27, as in Figure 4, the inner passageway end opening 17is appreciably larger than the outer end passageway 20. However, theinner-passageway end opening is preferably of a size incapable ofsimultaneously receiving more than one pill, so that only a single pillenters the passageway 18 at a time and the pills are thereforesequentially dispensed therefrom.

In practice, a single pill will normally enter the inner passageway endopening 17 upon initial inversion of the container 27, and individuallypass through the tube 18. Subsequent pills may pass through the tubemerely by gravity or be quickly and easily dispensed individually byslight shaking of the inverted container just sufficient to dislodge thepills from their rest position.

As appears in Figure 4, wherein the cap 30 is par1ially illustrated, theflange 12 is adapted for direct abutting engagement with the innersurface of the cap end wall to effectively seal the container 27 uponcovering engagement of the cap. Thus,- the need for a separate capliner, and the difficulties produced thereby, are eliminated. Theresilient yieldability of the flange 31 enables the latter to functionadmirably as a cap liner. It will now also be appreciated, that thenecessity for stufiing cotton into the container neck, as is presentlyrequired, is eliminated by the presence of the plug 11.

A modified embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures-7, the dispensing element or insert there being generally designated35, and illustrated in position within the neck 36 of a conventionalcontainer or bottle 37 in Figure 5. The insert 35 is also preferablyfabricated as an integral unit of polyethelene plastic or other materialhaving similar characteristics.

In particular, the insert 35 includes an external, generally cylindricalplug 38 formed on its outer end with a radially outstanding,peripherally extending flange 39. The plug 38 is formed internally witha longitudnially extending, open-ended bore or passageway 40. Thepassageway or bore 40 terminates in an outer end opening 41 which is ofa size to loosely and conformably pass a single pill 42, see Figures 5and 6, preferably, generally of rectangular configuration for use withdisclike tablets.

Toward its inner end, the longitudinal passageway 40 flares or divergesto a generally circular configuration at the inner end region of theplug. Fixedly secured in the inner end region of the passageway 40, andextending diametrically thereacross, is a generally flat plate,deflector or baflle 43. As best seen in Figure 7, the deflector orbaffle plate 43 extends diametrically across the plug 38 in longitudinalalignment with the outlet end opening of the passageway 40. Theproportions of the passageway 40 in its inner region, and thearrangement of the baflle plate 43 are such that an inner end opening ofthe passageway 40, which may be defined as the space between one side ofthe baffle and the adjacent or facing internal surface of thepassageway, is appreciably greater than the outlet end opening 41 topermit the entry therethrough of a single pill 42, but insufficient topermit the simultaneous entry (if more than one pill.

In addition, the longitudinal alignment of the baffle plate 43 and outerend opening 41 insures proper orientation of the pill received in thepassageway 40 for exit through the outer end opening.

Of course, the flange 39 seats on the outer end of the container neck 36to serve as a container seal in the same manner as describedhereinbefore in connection with the flange 12.

In use, upon inversion of the container 37, a single pill 42 will passby gravity beneath the baifle plate 43 into the lower, inner end openingof the passageway 40 for movement therethrough and exit therefrom.Should two or more pills attempt to enter an inner end opening of thepassageway 40 simultaneously, slight shaking or joggling of thecontainer will dislodge the wedged pills, as at 42 in Figure 5,selecting one or the other for individual entry.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides apill dispenser which fully accomplishes its intended object and is welladapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tablet dispenser for a container having an outlet neck, saiddispenser comprising a plug adapted to be inserted into said outletneck, said plug being formed with a longitudinal through passagewayhaving its outer-end opening of a generally rectangular size to looselyconformably pass a single tablet, the inner-end region of saidpassageway flaring toward the interior of said container, and a battleon the inner end of said plug extending across said passagewaylongitudinally of the rectangular outerend opening and combining withthe interior surface of the inner region of said passageway to define atleast one inner-end passageway opening considerably larger than theouter-end passageway opening but small enough to prevent thesimultaneous entry of more than one tablet into said passageway.

2. In combination, a tablet container having a hollow outlet neck, aplug engageable in said neck having a through passageway opening betweenthe interior and exterior of said container for passing tabletstherebetween, said passageway having a generally rectangular outer-endopening of a size to loosely and conformably pass a single pill, theinner-end region of said passageway flaring in the direction toward theinterior of said container, and a bafile plate on the inner end of saidplug extending diametrically across the interior of said necklongitudinally of said rectangular outer-end opening and inward of saidneck beyond said plug, the spaces interiorly of said neck on oppositesides of said baflle plate being each sufiiciently large to freely passa single tablet but small enough to prevent the simultaneous passage ofmore than one tablet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,457,345 Carline Dec. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 450,415 Great BritainJuly 17, 1936 840,335 France Apr. 24, 1939 649,763 Great Britain Mar.12, 1946

